Signal Fire
by hersheygal
Summary: When Jack finally tells Kate the words she’s longed to hear, she reacts differently than she thought she would. Finale Spoilers. Songfic.


Disclaimer: I don't own LOST.

A/N: I am SO excited about the finale! I really hope that Jack is telling Kate he loves her, but I know how these promos go sometimes so we'll see what happens. Anyways, this is my attempt at a way it could go. I seem to really like one shots lately. The song is called Signal Fire by Snow Patrol.

_The perfect words never crossed my mind,_

_Cause there was nothing in there but you,_

Kate slowly walked behind Danielle, who was walking with Jack. They were discussing how to get to the radio tower. Kate was content with walking behind Jack. She loved listening to him when he was making a plan. She was glad that people were starting to trust him again.

"How long do you think it will take?" Jack looked at Danielle as they walked.

"Alone, it took me a couple hours. But with this many people.." Danielle trailed off.

Jack nodded. " I wish you weren't the only one that knew the way or else we could send a small group ahead of us."

"Maybe we can." Kate sped her pace up to match Jack's as she moved to walk next to him.

"What do you mean?" Jack looked at her and Kate slightly smiled, happy that he seemed interested in what she had to say for once. Maybe that was because Juliet wasn't around. Kate pushed the thought from her mind.

"Well, I can track, so Danielle can go ahead with a couple people and leave a trail for us."

Jack nodded. "Okay, that will work."

"You should go with Danielle." Kate told Jack.

"No." Jack shook his head. "I need to make sure everyone is okay."

"But you know what to do. They won't."

"Danielle knows better than I do." Jack said. "So who should go with you?"

Danielle looked behind her. "I think I should go alone. It will be faster that way."

"What if it rains?" Jack asked.

"We'll be okay." Kate said.

Jack looked at Danielle. "Okay. Good luck."

Danielle nodded and started walking faster.

Kate fell behind Jack again, not really sure of how he felt about her.

Jack looked behind him and noticed that she was behind him. He slowed his pace down to match hers.

"So you think those tracking skills of yours are still sharp?" Jack grinned.

"Of course." Kate smiled.

"I don't know, it's been a while."

Kate shook her head.

They walked in silence for a while before Jack stopped and turned around.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"We need to take a break." Jack skimmed the group, taking notice of Claire and Rose.

"We're gonna take a break for a little while all right?" Jack said.

There was a sigh of relief from the group, and they all sat down.

Jack walked over to Rose and asked her if she was okay.

"I would be better if my husband was with me, Jack."

Jack nodded grimly and continued walking to Claire, who was holding Aaron close to her, a few stray tears falling from her face.

Jack bent down beside her. "Do you want me to hold the baby for a few minutes?"

Claire looked up at Jack. "No thank you, he comforts me." Claire looked down, embarrassed.

"I understand."

"Do you think Charlie will be okay?" Claire asked Jack.

Jack's heart sunk. He didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep. "Everything's going to work out Claire." He put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently before returning up to the front to talk to Kate.

When he got to the front, he couldn't find her anywhere. He looked at the group, but he couldn't find her.

He couldn't help but worry. The Others could be anywhere. What if they had taken her?

Jack left the clearing and went into the jungle, his heart racing. "Kate!" Jack called, cupping his hands to his mouth.

"Kate!"

He heard commotion from his left, and he quickly turned, prepared for anything.

A second later, Kate appeared.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, silently thanking whoever was listening.

"What?" Kate asked, a panicked look on her face.

"I couldn't find you." Jack said.

"Oh sorry. I should have told you."

"What were you doing?" Jack asked.

Kate looked down, embarrassed. "What do you think?"

"Oh." Jack smiled and looked away.

"Why were you so worried about me Jack?" Kate asked, curious

Jack blushed slightly and shrugged. "I don't know. The Others could be anywhere."

"Be honest Jack, please? I really need to know." Kate stayed in her position, a few feet away.

Jack turned away from her, his mind racing. He didn't know what to say. He turned around again, and looked at her. She was so beautiful.

_I felt every ounce of me screaming out,_

_But the sound was trapped deep in me, _

_All I wanted just span right past me, _

_While I was rooted fast to the earth, _

_I could be stuck here for a thousand years, _

_Without your arms to drag me out,  _

Her eyes were soft. Jack thought about what they had been through. He remembered the day when he thought he was leaving the island and how he wasn't going to be able to see Kate again. He thought that it would be unbearable to be around her back on the beach, to watch her be with Sawyer, but he was wrong. It was unbearable to be around her and not tell her how he really felt.

And now, anything could happen. He realized that. For those few minutes when he didn't know where Kate was, all he could think about was that he was never going to see her again. And he couldn't live with that.

"I love you." Jack said simply.

Kate tried to hide the smile that was spreading across her face.

_There you are standing right in front of me _

"I understand that you and Sawyer love each other, and that's okay, I just need you to know how I feel." Jack said quickly.

_No I won't wait forever _

_In the confusion and the aftermath,_

_You are my signal fire._

Kate blinked. All she wanted to do was tell him everything. Tell him that she couldn't live without him. But in her heart, she knew that if she told him her true feelings, it wouldn't work out. If they admitted their feelings, the Others could use it against them. And Jack seemed so focused when she wasn't around him. She was a distraction for him, and he was better off without her.

Kate had to look anywhere but at him.

"I understand." Jack said quietly. "I just want you to know that."

Kate looked at him, desperate to tell him her feelings as he walked past her.

She grabbed onto his arm, looking at him, and she knew that he understood.

_The only resolution and the only joy,_

_Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes,_


End file.
